Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ROCK-HEWN CHURCHES OF TIGRAY
The landscapes of northern Tigray are almost fairytale-like. The luminous light bathes
scattered sharp peaks that rise high into the sky out of a sandy, rolling semidesert. The
stratified plateaus, particularly between Dugem and Megab in the Gheralta region lead to
inevitable comparisons with the USA's desert southwest.
And the 120-odd churches are as intriguing as the landscape is beautiful. Very different
from the more famous monolithic (carved out of the ground and only left attached to the
earth at the base) churches of Lalibela, the Tigrayan churches are generally semimonolithic
(only partially separated from the host rock) or built into pre-existing caves. Most sit high
atop cliffs and the improbable perches add to their attraction. To approach these hidden gal-
leries after a long sweaty and sometimes slightly scary slog makes for a very rewarding ex-
cursion. And beyond a few famous churches, you'll likely get to explore on your own, even
in the high season.
History
Until the mid-1960s, the churches were almost unknown outside Tigray itself and still very
little is known about their real history, as opposed to their oral histories. Their remote and
precarious positions have led scholars to think they were being hidden from raiding
Muslims.
While local tradition attributes most of the churches to 4th-century Aksumite kings
Abreha and Atsbeha, as well as to 6th-century rulers, most historians confidently date them
between the 9th and 15th centuries. Thus the early churches represent an artistic, cultural
and technical link between Aksum and Lalibela.
THE TROUBLE WITH TIGRAY
The rock-hewn churches of Tigray are spectacular, but visiting them comes with strings attached. Years of tourists
handing out coins, pens, sweets, etc around the Gheralta cluster has created a climate of aggressive begging that's
now so rotten kids sometimes throw stones at people who don't hand over bounty. All locals we talked to insist the
situation is improving, in part because police visit schools to teach kids not to hassle tourists, but the frequency of
reports from travellers and tour guides contradict this. Hiring a local Tigrinya-speaking guide is a good, but only
partial, defence. Making things more frustrating is the attitude among many locals that if you go alone and have
trouble it's your own fault.
But, kids aren't the only problem. Some priests expect, and often demand, extra money. Many visitors balk at tip-
ping priests because the admission fees are so high, but fees go to the church bureaucracy. (Unless a receipt is not
